


Capplelism?

by AlmondAtrocity



Category: Battle For Dream Island (Web Series), Battle for BFDI (Web Series)
Genre: Arguing, EXIT, Eternal Algebra Class with Four, Feelings, M/M, Nonbinary 4, Nonbinary Four, Nonbinary X, Other, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 08:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmondAtrocity/pseuds/AlmondAtrocity
Summary: X and Four have a typical couple talk while trying to review the script for the next show. The script can wait.





	Capplelism?

**Author's Note:**

> tried my best not to love BFDI and BFB on main but wrow i failed. anyways, here's a 4X fic that isn't smut because i'm really tired of it at this point :-].

“Hey X, is it cannibalism to water an apple tree with apple juice?” Four blinked lazily at the other, for once actually tired after the last EXIT class he had taught. Pencil had turned in another paper full of doodles and drawings instead of the work nineteen times in a row, and he didn’t have infinite copies waiting around in the classroom that he could just hand out willy-nilly. He hadn’t slept all day.

 

“Uh, Four, did you overwork yourself again or… is this another one of those existential crisis questions?” X gently slid over the paper he had been writing the plan for the next episode on over, getting another page approved without it even being looked at.

 

Four sighed, lying back on the grass. “The EXITers were just really difficult today. I had to dismemble them at least twenty-seven separate times for following Pencil’s lead.”

 

X managed a smile at the other, happy that he was still able to even talk to Four now that he knew how bad it was. Usually, he’d have just gone silent the rest of the night whenever trouble was caused in the EXIT. Sometimes X had to take over in the EXIT because Four refused to teach such ‘imbecile brats’, as Four called them at those points.

 

“If you want, I can take ov-”

 

“No.”

 

X turned his face away to avoid the conflict of feeling hurt for being shut down so quick. He just wanted to help, yet Four always did this. He always took care of everything as if getting help from others was a bad thing. It was really unhealthy, honestly.

 

For once he just wanted to help someone who was obviously in need of it without being brushed aside because of ego or pride.

 

He figured now was as good of a time as any to set some boundaries in this relationship regarding such issues.

 

“Four, I’m tired of this.”

 

Four let out a light laugh. “Me too. Can we finish writing in a few more h-”

 

“Not of _that_ . Of… of _this_ .” X gestured between the two of them, exasperated, before placing his hands back on the grass and finally just… talking. “I’m tired of you thinking you need to put your pride first in this all. That all that matters is being strong without help from others because, oh noooo, help makes you _weak_ . Help makes you _lesser_ . But it...it _doesn’t!_ Okay?”

 

Four seemed a little less relaxed now, glaring at X. “Hey that’s enough now, just calm down, o-”

 

“ _No_ ! I’m not shutting up about this Four! This is important. Nobody cares if you need help or not, they _care_ that you’re alright and not sleep deprived. I just want you to be happy and carefree for once because I miss your smile _so_ much.”

 

X closed his eyes, picturing how he’d seen such a joyful smile plastered on Four’s shapeshifted.

 

“Last episode was the first time I had seen you smile and be genuinely happy in _weeks_. It hurts a lot that I don't get to see that too often.”

 

X opened his eyes back up, still clearly unhappy. Yet it wasn’t a mere passing feeling. No, this feeling… this feeling had been building up for a long time now.

 

“That’s why couples _talk_ in relationships. They’re supposed to make the other happy in a collaboration, not in a compromise like… like _this_ ! Where I just accept that you’ll never want help and you continue getting less happy each time something troublesome happens in the EXIT or during the show and you just _never_ smile again! Because that is… it is horrible to watch you do this to yourself and never take a break. You _need_ a break! If you don’t then one day I’ll wake up and finally realize you’ve broken.”

 

Four had sat up at some point after X had raised his tone at him for the first time in a long while. He hadn’t heard a tone like that from X since the day after X had found out his value, when all the Eights and Nines had begun picking on him for being a lower value than them.

 

Four was… speechless. That was the only word one could find to accurately describe it. How long had X been bundling that up for? Weeks? _Months? Years, even?_

 

X sniffled at the silence, not even bothering to turn around. The silence was the only answer he needed right there in the moment.

 

Four scooted closer to X, extending out his arms.

 

“X, please, I didn-” But X only pushed the hands that tried to hug him away.

 

“Hugs won’t fix this, Four. Talking will.”

 

Four scooted a few inches back away from X. X didn’t speak or fidget around. He knew it irritated Four to blow up like that and then only pay attention to anything except the conversation.

 

“I just need some time to gather my words. Please.”

 

X nodded after a few moments of consideration. It only seemed fair. There was a lot to unpack.

 

And so they sat. And sat. And sat. Soon it was quite late into the night. Sunrise was coming soon for the two.

 

Finally, Four somehow found his voice to speak.

 

“From the day I existed, I was taught to think lower of anyone who asked for help. Even those of greater numerical value were shunned the moment they uttered any semblance or iteration of the word help. So I never did.”

 

X watched as Four got up, starting to pace in place as he talked. X could tell Four was thinking really hard about this.

 

“When I’d lost all my higher _and_ lower number friends because I prefer to have only one friend who didn’t judge me, I didn’t ask for help.”

 

X… hadn’t known about that part at all.  He’d always thought they’d left because they had their own plans in life they wanted to accomplish. He felt guilty for not knowing. _How_ could he not have known?

 

“When my caretakers disowned me because I was a shame to them for not having made friends with those in greater power, I didn’t ask for help.”

 

That part X had known about but… he’d been told it was _only_ because X and Four had been caught seeing each other. How much did he actually know about his boyfriend’s life before they'd met? He’d never really given anything a second thought.

 

“When we got stuck here because I wanted to date a variable instead of loving a number who only used me as a punching bag for their own problems, and when I was exiled as a result, _I didn’t ask for help_!”

 

There was a long pause after Four stomped his foot on the ground as he let out the last words.

 

“The only time I have _ever_ asked for help was when I asked you to not drag yourself into exile with me. When I told you that in order to help me, you’d have to stay for your own sake.”

 

X glanced away quickly at that, but he knew Four still noticed.

 

“Now you understand.”

 

Four sighed again, sitting back down next to X, looking at the papers for tomorrow’s show to avoid eye contact.

 

“But… after what I’ve heard… I’m sorry X. I’m sorry for being so stubborn and for causing you to bundle up your emotions and for making you feel like I’m just trying to stay distant and uncaring of you. I’m sorry for hiding feelings from you. It’s not healthy. I understand that. I just wish I’d have gotten yelled at about this sooner. At least then I wouldn’t feel like crying. Crying will just make me... _weak_.”

X was… lost for words. He’d never really had reason to ask Four about life before they’d met. Now he just felt guilt and regret for not knowing.

 

“It… it doesn’t have to, y’know.” X’s smile perked back up, trying to stay positive for Four. “Crying can be strong. If you can control the emotions to flow out in healthy ways, crying can be... good.”

 

Four shook his head. “I can’t cry in front of contestants. When would I possibly have time to get all the tears I need to get out… out?”

 

X hesitated a moment, but the fear was quickly waved away. “Now. With me. Because I love you and… and I’d _never_ judge you. I promise.”

 

As soon as the word promise had been said, Four looked like a wounded puppy dog. His eyes, X noticed, were filling up with tears, yet Four was still holding them back. What was he waiting for?!

 

And then X realized. He needed someone to lean on. Because those tears were just the water drops from the cracks in a dam before the whole thing would flood from one more strategically placed chisel.

 

So he scooted closer to Four and hugged him so that he would have a levee for all the tears.

 

Four started crying.And with each sob, X found himself tearing up a little too, before joining into the crying. Crying out every emotion they’d talked about. Crying out every emotion unsaid. Crying out the people who’d hurt them. Crying at the loss of their lives on their own world. Crying about everything.

 

And the two cried without pause until the sun finally rose an hour later, and their shared flood was finally over.

 

X still kept four tight in a hug, listening until he heard Four’s light snore start up. He sat there for a good thirty minutes, still and quiet, radiating relief that they had finally talked.

 

And for the first time since they’d been transported here, X didn’t feel anxious.

 

Even if it meant hosting the show… all on his own… again.

 

_Hm._

 

“Also, no, apple juice is from a plant womb, therefore it’s just a plant blood shower.”

 

There was a loud snort of Four awakening, the mere existence of such words have enough of a disturbing power to do so.

 

“ _Excuse me, WHAT?_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> i just wanted something a couple in real life would realistically do because this ship deserves it. couples can have small arguments every now and again, so yeah. also, if you couldn't tell by the tags, they'll always be written as nonbinary by me. hope you enjoyed, i'll write more soon if i see people actually want it. thanks to y'all in the writing hell discord server for beta-reading this.


End file.
